Barcelona superstar Lionel Messi is set to pay €33m (US$44.84m) to the Spanish tax authorities after they found irregularities in 2007-2009.

The case brought against Messi, drug who is with Argentina at the World Cup in Brazil, drugs related to non-payment of tax over financial gains through image-rights.

Reported by Marca, originally, Messi paid off a €4.1m ($5.57m) fine, but he will now have to sign an agreement with the Hacienda to pay a further €25m ($34m) before 2018, plus another €2.7m ($3.66m), taking the total to approximately €32.9m.

The Argentine, who has helped his country win two games they played poorly in, with two fantastic goals, will not face criminal charges after the judge was satisfied that he was unaware of what his advisors were doing.

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“Serious sport has nothing to do with fair play, it is bound up with hatred and jealousy, boastfulness, disregard of all the rules and sadistic pleasure in unnecessary violence. In other words, it is war minus the shooting.”

In these controversial words, George Orwell, writing in 1941 during Europe’s darkest hour expressed an understandably pessimistic and cynical view of sport and sportsmanship in general. Although not a sportsman himself, Orwell may have been pining for a pre-war idyll of willow thumping on leather, of cheering factory workers thronging pitch sides and muddy, moustachioed men chasing the oval ball. Following their exertions, competitors would shake the hands of their erstwhile foes and clap each other off the pitch with three cheers. Then on to the bar for some serious drinking and an exchange of anecdotes of the match just played.

Perhaps this misty-eyed vision never reflected the reality of sport but was simply a yearned for folk-memory of better times when being described as a good sport was something to be proud of and not another way of labelling a loser.

In the years since Orwell wrote his prophetic words professional sport has changed just as society has changed. It is faster, fitter, technically more accomplished, tactically savvy and mentally stronger. It is popular, and with popularity has come the money to fund the best science, the best coaches and the best athletes. Satisfaction in sporting performance has been replaced by a compulsion for success that must be won at all costs. Sledging, diving, rule manipulation and drugs cheats are the inevitable consequence.

The governing bodies set up in good faith to regulate sporting rules and behaviour have themselves succumbed to the ever-strengthening pressure of commercial interests exerted by teams, leagues, tournaments, sponsors, media and host venues desperate to turn a profit. So we have FIFA awarding a football world cup to Qatar for what can only be non-sporting reasons; the ICC sanctioning back-to-back Ashes series simply to drive TV revenues and without a thought for the welfare of the players involved; and UCI world cycling turning a blind eye to serial drugs cheats for over ten years.

There are plenty of good things in sport and many great sportsmen and women. But sometimes the pressure to succeed drives behaviour to extremes. Is it really acceptable for a pre-match press conference to be used to play on the perceived mental infirmity of an opponent? What has a sport come to when the atmosphere between two teams is so hostile that one captain’s perception is “it’s a war out there”?

And what would Orwell make of it all? As a great socialist, perhaps he would engage in a polemic about capitalist society getting the level of fairness and sportsmanship it deserves.

Or maybe he would simply say “I told you so”.

Steven Falk is director of Star Sports Marketing a consultancy providing advice on sponsorship activation, CRM, brand and affinity marketing. He was previously Marketing Director at Manchester United. You can follow him on Twitter @steven_falk

Star Sports Marketing can help you to devise and implement an effective commercial strategy Visit www.starsportsmarketing.com or email steven.falk@starsportsmarketing.co.uk

Steven’s

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Leg 1 of the Clipper Round the World Yacht Race has linked Olympic hosts London and Rio de Janeiro in a unique range of sport, community and business initiatives. The twelve matched 70-foot ocean racers, sponsored by a wide range of destinations and brands, competed on a 5000 mile race track which challenged 250 amateur crew with a diverse range of weather conditions.

After a spectacular departure from St Katharine Docks next to Tower Bridge and a closely fought start in bright sunshine and fresh conditions relayed live to a global audience, the fleet headed south. After a pit stop in Brest, the crew focused on their Leg 1 final destination: Rio de Janeiro.

Brazil is the leading South American economy and is very attractive to businesses looking for growth in emerging global markets such as the BRIC countries. Our partners from the GREAT Britain campaign, led by the Prime Minister’s office, also capitalised on the opportunities our visit to Rio de Janeiro created.

A reception overlooking the fleet, including guided tours of the GREAT Britain yacht, attracted a high calibre guest list interested in sourcing marine equipment, services and expertise from British companies.

Our sponsorship team presented a large framed signed photograph of the GREAT Britain boat leaving Tower Bridge to the Mayor of Rio. It was also signed by the Mayor of London, Boris Johnson and signified the Olympic links between the two cities which was highlighted in a novel sports education project with the Rio 2016 Organising Committee.

Former England Rugby Sevens captain Ollie Phillips is racing around the world aboard the GREAT Britain boat and helped to introduce young Rio school children to the game in a coaching session on the beach next to the marina. This was organised with Rio Rugby and Rio 2016 as Rugby Sevens will be one of the new sports in the 2016 Olympics.

Community engagement is another powerful dimension of the Clipper Race and enables our partners to not only align themselves with social initiatives but also to actively engage and support them, or develop their own.

The Invest Africa entry is hosting young South Africans selected through the Nelson Mandela Children’s Fund in an initiative supported by the Sapinda Group. In Rio members of the Sapinda Rainbow crew met with youngsters participating in a project which trains local children in sailing, design, construction and maintenance.

Organised by former Brazilian Olympic medallists, brothers Torben and Lars Grael, they have been inspired by the Sapinda Rainbow project and are exploring the possibilities of doing something similar in the next Clipper Race.

OneDLL’s partner De Lage Landen organised a series of regattas for staff and customers from across South America alongside shore-based events. The aim is to bond employees from around the world as one team, as ‘One DLL’ and to enable customers to share in this experience in global ports of call. The power of the Clipper Race to build both internal teams and external relations has worked extremely well for DLL which has brought them back to build on the successes of their debut in the 2011-12 edition of the race.

Our initiatives in Rio, especially with the Olympic Organising Committee Education Program, have attracted global media interest with reports appearing around the world in Australia, Asia-Pacific, Africa, Europe and North and South America.

Attention turns to the South Atlantic now, after a spectacular start to Race 3 from Rio in front of Sugarloaf Mountain and close inshore across the iconic Copacabana and Ipanema beaches. By the end of October the fleet will be in Cape Town in the V&A Waterfront where sponsors are planning even more activation including trade, cultural and sports events.

The Sapinda Rainbow project will host 30 young people from across the country through the Nelson Mandela Children’s Fund, take them sailing and potentially introduce them to Rugby Sevens.

I’m constantly impressed by the extremely creative ways our business and port partners use the race as a platform for global promotion and engagement – it’s so diverse and versatile.

I look forward to being in Cape Town and reporting on the progress of our partners and crew.

Fair winds,

Robin

It is 45 years since Sir Robin Knox-Johnston set off on his record breaking solo, non-stop circumnavigation in 1968-69. In 1995, he established the Clipper Race, to give everyone, regardless of sailing experience, the opportunity to discover the exhilaration of ocean racing.

Now the world’s longest ocean race, 670 amateur sailors representing more than 40 nations will compete in the Clipper 2013-14 Race. They set sail from London on September 1 and will travel 40,000 miles on twelve Clipper 70’s in 15 races across all six continents, not returning to London till July 2014.

Youcan follow the Clipper 2013-14 Race at www.clipperroundtheworld.com and on Twitter via @ClipperRace. Follow Sir Robin on Twitter @SirRKJ.

Sir Robin’s

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Can politics be separated from sport? It’s a tough ask since politics of one sort or another feature in the power matrix of about every governing body.

Football, notoriously after events within FIFA over the last few years, is no exception. But Michel Platini, one of the world body’s vice-presidents and leader of UEFA, believes it is possible to draw a line between the political and sporting spheres.

Platini set out his strategy this week in Jerusalem at the conclusion of the European Under-21 Championship whose staging in Israel had proved a magnet for pro-Palestinian demonstrations.

The Frenchman insisted that Israel had the same rights and duties as all the other 53 members of the UEFA football family. He wanted young people to enjoy the same football opportunities in Israel just as in every other European country – and also in Palestine.

UEFA always knew, after being persuaded by influential IFA president Avi Luzon to take the finals to Israel, that it could be a bumpy ride. Troubles in Gaza and then a steady series of pro-Palestinian demonstrations – including at UEFA Congress in London last month – provided mere confirmation.

But Platini maintained the course on which he had steered UEFA last year concerning Ukraine’s co-hosting of Euro 2012 amid a boycott from European Union politicians. That course involves ignoring issues on the ground and focusing only on the football.

In Jerusalem, on the morning of Tuesday’s final, he expounded on his creed.

Platini said: “I would like the football world to be peaceful where people can play peacefully and amicably. I’m familiar with the reality but, for young people and for everyone, football is something that should be good for them all.

“It’s the most powerful sport in the world today so some people take advantage of football’s popularity and – with a lot of journalists and media around – use this as leverage for other purposes such as economic and commercial reasons.

“The popularity of football allows this to happen. I would prefer people not to take football hostage. Before the finals in Ukraine people said maybe you shouldn’t go there but we kept on going and it’s been the same in Israel.

“We had problems with people from Palestine who didn’t want us to come. It’s their right to demonstrate but we also think it’s our right to do what is good for football and not for politics.

“I want children in Israel to play football as they do in other countries and I will not be dragged into political issues because an organisation such as ours should focus on the development of football and leave politics to the politicians.”

Platini’s ability to explain not merely policy but also detail will be tested as never before over the coming year as UEFA approaches the break-even deadline for clubs under the terms of financial fair play.

An example of confusion in the world at large was evidenced by a question put to him in Jerusalem about UEFA’s stance on the high-spending strategy adopted by newly-revived Monaco after the refinancing by Russian fertiliser tycoon Dmitry Rybolovlev.

Platini was constrained to point out, in response, that the exigencies of FFP apply only to those clubs which qualify for European competition – and Monaco do not.

With that he was off, to more meetings, matches, presentations and an official banquet. Politics, diplomacy, finance . . . just another day in the life of leading international sports administrator.

Keir Radnedge has been covering football worldwide for more than 40 years, writing 33 books, from tournament guides to comprehensive encyclopedias, aimed at all ages.

His journalism career included The Daily Mail for 20 years as well as The Guardian and other national newspapers and magazines in the UK and around the world. He is a former editor, and remains a lead columnist, with World Soccer, generally recognised as the premier English language magazine on global football.

In addition to his writing, Keir has been a regular analyst for BBC radio and television, Sky Sports, Sky News, Aljazeera and CNN.

Keir Radnedge’s Twitter: @KeirRadnedge

Keir Radnedge’s 

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This month, we are looking at innovation in stadium design, driven in particular by the impact of technology affecting both the venue design itself and the fan experience. Emerging technology is having an all-encompassing impact on stadium design: venues are operationally smarter, they are more sustainable and they ultimately offer a far more engaging, social fan experience. As my colleague Greg Sherlock explains, stadia have to continue to innovate to entice people to gather and share experiences in person at the venue, experiences that they cannot get in the living room at home or at the pub with friends.

The continuing competition with the in-home experience is the driving force behind the emergence of the intelligent venue. There is a critical balance between the in-game experience and the remote experience in order for both to coexist. Designers and venue owners are now looking to augment the in-stadium experience through cutting edge technology providing access to unique information and unique experiences. I believe there are three areas in which the stadium of the future can be smarter:

Fan-Experience: The fan experience is rapidly changing with the evolution of technology and everything from augmented reality technology to social media is impacting the design of facilities. In particular, recent technology allows the in-stadium guest various touch points to engage with the facility, which allows their behavior patterns to be tracked and venues to respond intelligently, magnifying sponsorship revenues and future opportunities for engagement. This technology also allows teams to expand their offerings to fans beyond the front doors of a venue and build brand loyalty over the long term. As a conduit, technology ensures that fans engage on their way to the stadium, and as they travel home, through pre and post-game events. As designers we also must consider how to reach fans at touch points that extend beyond the stadium walls and into the broader community.

Among the emerging technologies to have an impact on stadium design and the overall fan experience are:

Wi-Fi – Wi-Fi ensures that each of us who uses technology regularly has access to live feeds of unique information about a game while also being encouraged to share experiences via social media. In-stadium apps can encourage this sharing of information and connect fans who attend an event with exclusive content, as is the case at Sporting Park in Kansas City, Kansas, USA. This technology is moving toward more centralized distribution nodes ultimately extending connectivity. Third party vendors are now filling this void by providing infrastructure to make this possible in existing venues at a minimal upfront cost.

Data mining – Data mining, coupled with robust Wi-Fi, allows teams to track the buying patterns of users to better understand stadium hot spots or the popularity of items, resulting in a customized stadium experience and the expansion of the event. This information can be used to drive people to areas of the stadium where their friends are, or to try out new products or restaurants.

Augmented Reality – New technologies, such as Google Glass, now provide an opportunity for fans to connect directly to the live action on the field, providing another opportunity for exclusive content for fans in the stadium. As this technology evolves, augmented information will result in an incomparable game-day experience in which you can see action on the field, vital stats and an overlay of information you’d be unable to access from your living room.

Social media – Community engagement is becoming sacred in today’s virtual driven environments. Social media plays a crucial role in society as Twitter, Facebook and Instagram have become live sketch books, journals and photo albums for users. People enjoy following friends and sharing their experiences, presenting an opportunity for sports to tailor content to fans and reinforce the gathering of people with similar tastes and/or demographic characteristics within a venue.

Eyes on the game – Cameras are everywhere and it’s not far off to assume that users will one day be able to access an app that controls cameras at various angles in a stadium or are worn by performers themselves, allowing guests access to behind the scenes views. The ability to watch or follow a particular player at will is another possibility just around the corner.

Dynamic pricing is already common place, but dynamic environments which can change at the flip of a switch are necessary to captivate what is hot at any particular moment. These environments would be conceived as large touch screens, allowing individuals to experience an environment- maybe a club, bar or other gathering space, that is dynamic and constantly changing. Thus, fans would never have the same experience twice in that space.

The integration of large HD screens into the exterior and interior of a facility of any shape, size or density is now possible due to declining costs as technology proliferates. New modulated and interchangeable LED panels allow for customization opportunities to further celebrate the live action and engage fans to participate in programming while magnifying the experience.

Operations:

Operationally, smart buildings will be more efficient, less expensive to operate and increasingly adaptable. The evolution of technology is leading to behind-the-scenes efficiency that significantly impacts the bottom line operational cost of a facility. In turn, it isn’t unreasonable to think that eventually public assembly venues will be completely self-powered and self-sustaining. As a building type, there is potential for public assembly venues to generate enough power to power themselves. Technologies in solar collection, heat exchange, water collection and crowd movement are making it possible to envision this hyper-functional building type. In addition, new technology monitoring systems and automated controls allow operations professionals to systematically power a building to create the perfect balance for optimum operational efficiency. Finally, kinetic innovations are allowing venues to be more adaptable to the size of an audience or a particular show, which is particularly important in arena spaces. This technology means that venues can be downsized, operable or perhaps even mobile, depending on the show resulting in more flexible venues with higher performance usage over the long term.

Sustainability:

The evolution of the technologies impacting operations is also having an impact over sustainable design and operations of large, public assembly venues. Technology is driving buildings to become more efficient in energy use, fundamentally reducing the impact on the environment. In addition, designers are returning to passive building strategies to reduce energy consumption, coupled with technological driven controls and automation which cause buildings to breathe in their climatic condition, ultimately reducing energy consumption and harvesting clean energy. These buildings are high-performance and extend the thinking surrounding sustainability from beyond LEED Certification to the overall and long-term impact a venue will have on its surroundings and the lasting legacy.

The challenge for venue owners and designers of their venues is to design facilities which allow and embrace these rapidly advancing innovations, while anticipating what is coming next. Keeping pace isn’t easily predictable, but teams can anticipate future trends by considering visionary design concepts, investing time and conducting research to better understand where these trends are headed. The key philosophy for designers and teams moving forward is allowing for flexibility- in operations, sustainability and the fan experience.

But what does this philosophy mean for owners? Flexible design will require strategic thinking and an understanding of the long-term rewards for this approach. Immediately, teams and designers can begin by allocating additional core space and infrastructure which will ensure there is physical space for technology allowing teams to expand without additional cost when the next technology arrives on the market. In addition, system compatibility must be a priority. As venues modernize, all technology systems must be linkable to allow for content programming to be consistent, seamless and uniquely branded to a specific event. In addition, teams should consider oversizing wireless broadband capacity and system linkage. Doubling, tripling or quadrupling broad band capacity is simply a necessity in a smart stadium as every fan expects to utilize their smart phone or tablet while watching the game. Finally, allowing for the physical adaptation of a facility is crucial and results in environments that can easily adapt to social gathering trends, evolving communication patterns and our growing knowledge of how fans interact and navigate a facility. It is not unreasonable to think that fans of the future will determine who they socialize with based on a particular brand they choose to associate with, shared interests, age or other data, which then reinforces their own particular identity and further distinguishes the desire to attend an event versus watch from home. For example, a young urban professional could choose seating areas where their colleagues prefer to hang out while at the game, or diehards who prefer to keep stats can all share similar focus. As these concepts become plausible, facilities must be prepared to adapt to accommodate them.

New innovations in technology are leading the way for intelligent public assembly venues that will create unique, personalized and flexible spaces that compel individuals to gather together. However, fundamentally, technology innovations in both the home environment and the live experience must grow in parallel, as one cannot exist without the other. Such venues will then continue to create settings that draw communities together, foster a culture and engross fans.

Richard Breslin is a Senior Principal at Populous and a Director of the Asian/Pacific office headquartered in Brisbane. Richard also sits on the worldwide strategic Board of Populous. Richard is responsible for all of the firm’s projects in New Zealand and Australia.

In 1997, Richard commenced work with the team on the design of Stadium Australia (now ANZ Stadium), the main venue for the Sydney 2000 Olympic and Paralympic Games. At this time, he also worked on the event overlay for the Games, reviewing initial designs for Homebush Olympic Park.

Following the successful delivery of the 2000 Summer Games, Richard worked on the design of the 90,000 seat Wembley Stadium, before leading the design team for two stadia constructed in Portugal (Estadio da Luz in Lisbon and Estadio Algarve in Faro) in preparation for the UEFA Euro 2004 soccer competition.

In 2006, he was Project Leader for the design of the Soccer CIty Stadium in Johannesburg, South Africa, for the 2010 FIFA World Cup. He was also appointed project leader for Populous’ successful master plan for the London 2012 Olympic Park. Populous designed the main stadium for the London Olympics and was part of the Overlay team for the Olympic Park.

In 2007, Richard emigrated to New Zealand, where he led the teams on the design of the 60,000 seat Eden Park redevelopment in Auckland and the 30,000 seat Forsyth Barr Stadium in Dunedin, the first fully covered fixed roof stadium with a natural grass pitch. Both were venues for the 2011 Rugby World Cup. Richard is now working on a range of projects in Australia and New Zealand, including the sports hub which is part of the blueprint for the rebuilding of Christchurch, following the earthquakes.

Richard Breslin’s

Populous project designer Gregory Sherlock is an architect with nearly 25 years of experience. His design direction was instrumental in developing international sports facilities including Chivas Football in Guadalajara, baseball venues in Taipei and Hiroshima and O2 World Arena in Berlin. Greg was the lead designer for Major League Baseball venues in the U.S. including Cincinnati’s Great American Ballpark, the Kansas City Royals Ballpark and the Miami Marlins Ballpark. He is currently involved in design concepts for major sporting venues in Columbia, Costa Rico and Brazil, as well as numerous MLB franchises in the U.S. and Canada.

Greg believes all buildings should be integral to their communities while providing a sustainable legacy for future generations. His designs seek to embody a direct physical relationship to their urban context and strive to become adaptable to social, economic and urban change.

Gregory Sherlock’s

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The Romanian Football Federation (FRF) “has made the first steps in bidding to host a match at Euro 2020, discount ” but is concerned that the political situation in the country “could scupper their attempts once again,” according to ISPORTCONNECT. The country is under a coalition government and the…Read More >

The challenges of writing a new chapter

Volleyball is the biggest indoor sport in the Netherlands. With 125,000 members, we are one of the biggest sports associations in the country. Beach volleyball is also becoming increasingly popular, with the number of beach venues rising fast. With so many (beach) volleyball players in a small country like the Netherlands, you’d think that an association like ours would find it easy to optimally facilitate our national teams. And yet, an association which seems to have all the organisational resources it needs – a fulltime programme, a solid talent development line, high quality technical staff and plenty of experience in organising major sports events – is unable to handle the consequences of what is a fantastic sporting success.

In July our relatively young men’s team, led by a new and ambitious coach, took us all by surprise by winning the European League. A brilliant result, which entitles the team to take part in the qualification for the World League. This is the most prestigious tournament in the world of volleyball with great commercial potential and the springboard for the Olympic games. Participation in the World League involves many obligations and thus huge costs for an association. In budgetary terms, our association had not planned for this victory, let alone the fact that we would have to host both qualification rounds. In sporting terms fantastic, but in financial terms: a massive challenge!

In that respect, Dutch volleyball is unfortunately trapped in a vicious circle that we are keen to break through. Following a spate of disappointing results in the past, media attention for volleyball among national broadcasters and the daily press has declined. This is unheard of in countries like Poland, Italy and Turkey, where volleyball is big and as such is widely embraced as an important sport for society. Events are usually sold out, broadcast live on national television and the teams – national heroes – followed by the press. In these countries, it is therefore easier to generate funding for the sport or an event; in fact events usually make a profit.

For us as an association, the costs of organising an event are substantial, also in view of the obligations imposed at international level. Most of the costs are related to TV production. Unfortunately we do not currently have a big media partner to reduce or share these costs and to ensure national coverage on TV. Sadly our sport is not considered important enough for recordings of our games to be broadcast on national television. In concrete terms, this means that, as an association with no form of support, we are unable to organise major international events. This despite the fact that in our country 600,000 people regularly play volleyball and that there are 1.2 million fans.

From the above, it is clear that it is hard for us to find a partner for a team or the association. Unfortunately, business investors put great stock on media attention. This not only applies to us, but also to our 1100 volleyball member clubs. The position of volleyball on the agenda of media partners and sponsors and present results mean that a professional volleyball player cannot earn a living in the Netherlands. This is why we are seeing top players leaving for foreign clubs at an increasingly young age. For the Dutch top clubs and national competition, this constitutes a huge challenge. As long as talented players trained by us leave the country for relatively low sums of money, the national competition will probably never be able to compete at European level. The common denominator in countries where volleyball does well is that national competition is strong and the players do not leave the country.

The focus of the policy of the NOC*NSF, the umbrella organisation for sports in the Netherlands, from 2013 is on top ratings at World Championships and the Olympic games. As a team sport, this is a challenge; on the one hand we are rated on the basis of past results, while on the other hand, unlike individual sports, we only get one opportunity every two years to perform. For volleyball, being judged on short-term results is at odds with building a top team that can last several years. If you choose to bring in fresh blood, as we did last year, it’s nearly impossible to fulfil the demands in 2013 which focus on becoming one of the ten best sporting countries in the world.

To summarise, it is a huge challenge for us to offer a good fulltime programme to our national teams and to ensure that they can play in important competitions. Without NOC*NSF support and with no partners or sponsors, this is impossible. However we are trying hard in various areas to add that new chapter to the boys’ book of Ron Zwerver, Peter Blangé and Joop Alberda, among others.

About Hans Nieukerke

Until 1 July 2007, Nieukerke was director of the Hoenderloo Group, an organisation which provides youth care and education. Nieukerke became a national name in 1999 when he founded the Glen Mills School, a ‘re-education school’ for young offenders.

Besides his youth work, Nieukerke was also chairman of the employers’ association for welfare, youth care and child welfare, board member of MKB Nederland (SME Netherlands) and deputy councillor of the Social Economic Council (SER).

Nieukerke is currently president of the Netherlands Volleyball Association, the Federation for International Nature Conservation (FIN), the NUSO (Dutch union for playground associations) and chairman of the SHV (umbrella organisation for people with congenital brain injury).

Finally, Nieukerke has been and is still involved in various capacities in the VVD (conservative party).

Han’s Nieukerke’s 

[photography (c) Ronald Hoogendoorn]

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